The finest RPG of the 8 bit era and a classic for all time.
User Rating: 8.9 | Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi NES
Back in the early 90's when most gamers had already moved on to the Genesis and Super Nintendo, Enix quietly released its forth installment in the Dragon Warrior series, and the last one Americans would see for almost 10 years until the release of Dragon Warrior Monsters for Gameboy Color. The game was nothing short of a masterpiece and was easily the best RPG released on the NES. Unfortunately due to its late release in the console's life, few people were lucky enough to play it and missed out on a true classic. The story of Erdrick/Ruto ended in Dragon Warrior III, and a new story begins in Dragon Warrior IV. The Demon Lord is about to resurrect, and in preparation for his resurrection monsters have begun searching the world for a child of legend who is destined to grow up to be the hero that will defeat him. The story is told in five chapters, each introducing a new character or characters, each of whom will eventually find the child of destiny and help him to destroy the Demon Lord. The story is remarkable for a NES game and is just as good or better than most of the stories told in the 16 bit RPGs. Dragon Warrior IV has several new battle features that would later be used in other installments of the series. Upon reaching the 5th chapter of the game, when the characters begin to meet up with each other and form a party, the player only controls the hero. The remaining characters are only given a "battle mode" to choose from. The player selects them to attack agressively, fight normally, defend, heal, etc. and the characters will act accordingly. While not perfect, the A.I. does a very good job and you will not be left scratching your head wondering why one of your characters would fight in a bone headed way. Additionally from time to time your party will be joined by NPCs who will fight alongside you. These NPCs are usually quite powerful and will help you overcome a shortcoming that your party has at a particular time. The game's graphic and sounds are easily the best in the NES installments of the Dragon Warrior series. The graphics in the battle scenes are very well done with the monsters and large and detailed. The overworld graphics are a bit plain, but still an improvement on earlier games in the series. Likewise the music is not quite as good as some NES games, but the tunes are still catchy and you will likely find one or two stuck in your head after playing. If you are lucky enough to find a copy of Dragon Warrior IV get ready for a committment because this game is long. Most gamers will need between 40 and 50 hours to complete it. Some of the early parts of each chapter are spent leveling up but for the most part the length of the game isn't due to that like most early RPGs. The game is full of story, and the world you will travel in is huge. And if ever you find yourself a bit tired of fulfilling the journey to stop the resurrection of the Demon King there are plenty of side quests. In the center of the world is a kingdom with a giant casino that will let gamers bet on monster battles, poker, and slot machines. Tiny metals are also scattered across the world, and you might just find a king who will trade rare items in exchange for them. Despite the length though, the game never gets dull and the story will pull you in and surprise you at just how detailed it is for a NES game.
